I just came home and turned on my computer, checked my email, and saw a note that the Houston Symphony's announcement of their 13-14 season was being webcast.

Clicked on the link, and the second the video loaded, the first thing I saw was a big picture of John Williams and heard them saying that he is coming HIMSELF and conducting here and Yo-Yo Ma too (I think Cello Concerto) and they are also doing film scores and there will be a MEET & GREET afterward. O.M.G.

I thought I had fallen into an alternate universe and had to pinch myself.

Next year is the Symphony's 100th anniversary, so there are a lot of awesome things happening. Right after they announced the JW concert, was mention of a performance of Mahler 8 with Eschenbach, which they are building a special stage extension for. And apparently John Adams is coming as well to conduct his new piece CIty Noir. And also, they have just named a new conductor who looks a lot like Gustavo Dudamel of the LA Phil.

This is all the info I know now on the JW concert, they don't even have the season brochure or concert listings up yet.

"He used to down an entire bottle of firewhisky, then run onto the dance floor, hoist up his robes, and start pulling bunches of flowers out of his--""Yes, he sounds like a real charmer""Never married, for some reason."

Last year, the Houston Symphony put on a concert of 'the music of John Williams from the films of Steven Spielberg', and I was fortunate to get a ticket and attend. I imagine this one-night-only concert will sell-out the day tickets are available.

Two music superstars and longtime friends join your Houston Symphony for an evening of music by John Williams composed for the concert hall and for some of Hollywood’s most beloved films. Williams and the legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma perform the composer’s lush and virtuosic Cello Concerto, followed by thrilling selections from some of his most popular film scores

I'd been trying to buy tickets and asked her if she knew when they were going on sale. As of now they are only available to subscribers and 70% are sold as of 2 weeks ago. They go on sale to the public October 1st.

Oh yeah, unless your a $1000.00 VIP donor to the symphony, forget the meet and greet.

Oh yeah, unless your a $1000.00 VIP donor to the symphony, forget the meet and greet.

Yikes!

That's one of the American phenomena that I've always found puzzling -- the merger of commercial interests and cultural institutions. I remember when I had a tour of Walt Disney Concert Hall in LA last year, I was flabbergasted to see this huge wall plastered with names of donors -- the bigger the donor, the bigger the name.

Stuff like that -- and the VIP thing you mentioned -- leaves a sour taste in the mouth for us egalitarian social democrats in the corner of Europe.

I don't think the notion of "overplayed" really applies to a venue like this. My guess is that of the vast majority of the audience members, this will be at most their second time hearing any of these pieces live.

I don't think the notion of "overplayed" really applies to a venue like this. My guess is that of the vast majority of the audience members, this will be at most their second time hearing any of these pieces live.

Oh, I'm sure it'll be a delight for all but the snootiest in the audience. I'm very much looking through the lens of my own personal experience/perspective.